It's a new year and I'm ready to make the most of it, granted I'm not going to completely transform right away - I'm only human. But 2021 feels different, change has never felt more possible or necessary. However, figuring out where to start had me absolutely stuffed.
Talking to my mate Noah, turned everything around. They told me to start small and focus on 3 things, I had the whole year to tackle my list. It was hard to narrow it down but I finally did and here's what I came up with:
1. Learn a new language
Aye, we all say we "know" French just from those years in high school but let's be honest -- who really remembers enough to have a conversation? Defo, not me. Well, language learning is heaps of work, I found a great stress-free, no-pressure way to do it: Rosetta Stone.
This app is the best way to learn a language and is only costing me $7.99 a month for an annual subscription (it's an educational subscription, so absolutely justified). But they have 24+ languages to choose from, everything from Mandarin to Japanese, and with the annual Unlimited Languages plan you can access all of them and switch between languages as you'd like.
I'm actually going to start with French this time by doing a 15-30 minute lesson a day and because I can do it from the app, it fits into my commute perfectly - no wifi necessary.
I was wary at first using Rosetta Stoneinstead of a traditional language class but the cool features actually work. TruAccent® is helping perfect my pronunciation with a little icon that turns green, yellow, or red when I speak - arguably the hardest part to master in any language.
Phrasebook® and Seek & Speak® are really building my vocabulary. With Phrasebook® I'm collecting short, useful expressions that will help me when I finally get to travel to France. Seek & Speak® infused some fun into learning with a scavenger hunt game to identify items around the house and learn their translation. I can already tell my French is getting better thanks to Rosetta Stone.
2. Travel more at home
While international travel is restricted right now, exploring the bush is definitely an option. There are tons of amazing road trips I can take, to discover the hidden gems Australia has to offer. I'm finally taking advantage of my own backyard and planning to hit a ton of spots.
For the coast, I'm headed to Byron Bay and can't wait to get my toes in the sand. But I'm also planning to head deeper into the Outback and get away from the hustle and bustle of my day-to-day. I'm ready to lay back, look at the stars, and just breathe without the weight of 2020 on my shoulders.
Plus, Rosetta Stone lets you download your bite-sized lessons and do them anywhere. I can hit the road and still stay on track with my French!
3. Learn to cook
Sounds fairly simple, right? Well, let's just say I'm not a natural chef and this might be the biggest challenge I'll take on this year. I'm using a lot of YouTube videos and even TikTok to get me going - anything that will inspire and teach me.
To get double the work in, I've been using Rosetta Stone to help me learn the names of common ingredients. Hopefully, by the end of the year I'll be cooking up some French delicacies and maybe my mates will take a chance and try them (my lack of cooking skills are well-known).
It's going to be a long year but with these 3 goals I know it's going to fly by. Rosetta Stone will give me a good daily break and get me closer to fluency with each one. As Paris is off the table for now I'm looking forward to exploring home and using my kitchen to tour the world.
2021 is all about trying new things and finding ways to do them that are safe but fun. Thanks to my new goals, road trips, and Rosetta Stone I'm doing just that.
